Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Waikiki, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Waikiki, HI: $3,148 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Waikiki, HI
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Waikiki, HI Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Waikiki, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,148

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Waikiki, HI

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Waikiki, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $3,148 in Waikiki, HI, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Waikiki, HI $3,148

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $4,580 in Waikiki, HI, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Waikiki, HI $4,580

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $6,011 in Waikiki, HI, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Waikiki, HI $6,011

New York, NY costs about 56% more than Waikiki, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Waikiki, HI sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Waikiki, HI by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$25.12 $25.12

7.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$140 $140

-16.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$15.23 $15.23

-4.14%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.94 $5.94

10.10%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$5.06 $5.06

-23.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.63 $3.63

-18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$10.44 $10.44

-22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$11.37 $11.37

-13.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.02 $1.02

28.43%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.52 $3.52

41.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$10.14 $10.14

-24.06%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$8.84 $8.84

-31.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$12.51 $12.51

56.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$20.34 $20.34

-13.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$21.60 $21.60

-6.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$8.26 $8.26

-15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.67 $1.67

32.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$6.93 $6.93

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$9.32 $9.32

-23.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.86 $4.86

-5.14%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.88 $4.88

-2.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$5.30 $5.30

-45.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.04 $3.04

-11.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$12.88 $12.88

48.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$18.20 $18.20

7.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.69 $2.69

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.68 $5.68

-26.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.25 $2.25

34.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$59.9 $59.9

132.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.59 $3.59

-15.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.64 $2.64

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$45.63 $45.63

-9.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.50 $1.50

-24.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K $34.5K

$36.1K $36.1K

-4.49%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$232 $232

$250 $250

-7.15%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$65.4 $65.4

8.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$64.5 $64.5

4.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$41.02 $41.02

181.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$19.78 $19.78

13.30%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,606 $3,606

$2,118 $2,118

70.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$28.2K $28.2K

143.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$63.7 $63.7

24.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$47.25 $47.25

8.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$103 $103

18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$133 $133

5.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,612 $1,612

182.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,424 $1,424

113.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,612 $2,612

272.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,965 $1,965

171.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,676 $2,676

581.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$2,422 $2,422

176.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.79

1.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Waikiki, HI: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Waikiki, HI

$1.4K 45.2% 53.2% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Waikiki, HI

$594 18.9% 4.7% $27

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Waikiki, HI

$428 13.6% 0.6% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Waikiki, HI

$380 12.1% 2.5% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Waikiki, HI

$156 5% 11.6% $21

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Waikiki, HI

$86 2.7% 48.2% $80

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Waikiki, HI

$81 2.6% 49.7% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,612 in Waikiki, HI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $140 in Waikiki, HI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $594 – making New York, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Waikiki, HI

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

12:06 12:06 PM

5 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

19,862

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Waikiki, HI 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Waikiki, HI

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New York, NY vs Waikiki, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 56% more than Waikiki, HI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $4,722 in Waikiki, HI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waikiki, HI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,612 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $2,118 in Waikiki, HI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in New York, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,906 in New York, NY and $3,148 in Waikiki, HI. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Waikiki, HI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.